WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3041/98 by W.G. van VELZEN to the Commission. Storage of nuclear waste from the reactor in Petten (Netherlands)
Date: 1998-10-08
Institutions: European Parliament, VAN VELZEN W G
Subjects: Joint Research Centre, Netherlands, export of waste, irradiated fuel, nuclear reactor, nuclear safety, radioactive waste, storage of waste, waste management

21.5.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 142/75

Commission in the Malpensa case was exclusively motivated by the need to ensure that Community law is
respected. That is the principle applied by the Commission at all times and in all cases. Unfounded
allegations will not distract the Commission from fulfilling that duty.

(1) OJ L 240, 24.8.1992.

(1999/C 142/091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3041/98

by W.G. van Velzen (PPE) to the Commission

(8 October 1998)

Subject: Storage of nuclear waste from the reactor in Petten (Netherlands)

The safe storage of highly radioactive nuclear waste from the High Flux Reactor in Petten, the
Netherlands, could be jeopardised by a shortage of storage capacity. The Netherlands Energy Research
Centre (ECN), which is operating the Petten reactor with the authorisation of the Commission, expects
storage capacity to be exhausted at the end of this year. Arrangements will therefore have to be made in
good time for storing the waste elsewhere. However, Covra’s storage facility, the central storage point in
Zeeland, is not yet ready, nor has a licence for temporary storage yet been issued.

The ECN considers that the safe storage of nuclear waste at Petten must not be endangered, and says that it
will close the reactor down when storage capacity is nearly exhausted.

1.

Is the Commission aware of this problem?

2. What role does the Commission intend to play in solving the problem?

3. Might the Commission be considering helping another EU Member State to solve the problem?

4. Who would then be responsible for transport and financing?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(20 November 1998)

1.
The Commission is aware of the problem. As owner and licence holder its Joint research centre
(JRC) is responsible for the operation of the high flux reactor. A large part of the reactor operation is
executed under contract by the ECN (now NRG) Petten.

2.
To solve the problem the Commission has considered several solutions. Arrangements were made in
1996 for the storage of spent fuel and waste in the form of a contract with Covra signed in July 1996. This
covers the temporary storage of the waste. It is correct that the storage capacity at Covra is not yet
available since the licence is not yet issued. The second level solution is the storage of the waste (spent
fuel) in the pound of the reactor building, where more storage capacity is possible.

3. Waste management is effected at national level. No example exists of cooperation at Community
level of nuclear waste storage. Safety rules have to comply with national regulations and practices.
Moreover, any possible reprocessing action that could be contracted with another Member State such as
France would imply the return of the resulting waste to the Netherlands for final storage.

4.

Transport of the spent fuel from Petten to Covra is taken over by the JRC.